Retort



mec. www@ H. HOWARD RETORT Filed June 15 1925v 2 sheetsnsneei 2 #Fili-4f FZi minier nou/Asn or ausmalen, onto,

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To all w/lo'm it 'muy concern.

Be it known that l. Hanni Howri'sn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the countyr of Cuyahoga and State of Uhio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Pcetorts, o which 'the following is e specification.

This invention relates to apparatus and more particularly to a distilling vessel or retort for the distillation or concentration or' liquids such as corrosive. acids5 for. er

ample sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and the like.

In an application tiled May S29, 19221,' in the naines ofGlenn A. Keep M. H05, Serial No. 564,512 there is disclosed apparatus and process for the distillation 'of liquids such as hydrochloric acid solutions. -Une of the principal features of the invention described in that application is theheating of the liquid to he distilled esses such as that described in` said and Holi application.

lThe invention residesin a retort formed ofnatural stone which is impervious and refractory to coin-osive liquids suoli as hot strong mineral acids: rlglie preferrednatural stone for the constrnctioru ofv the retort is chloric acid solution, in the apparatus illus` granite and more partiogularlythat kind ol' granite known as Quincy granite. Anystone of' similar properties in relation' to hot hydrochloric acid solution Ina-y be used..

The invention will he described and illusv trated hereinafter with reference to the heating'ancl distillation of hydrochloric acid solutions by the passa-ge of electric current therethrough in a. retort formed of granite illustrated in the accompanying drawings in Which- Fig. lis a perspective view of the retort and its supporting structure and the distillate condenser;

Fig. 2 .is a pla-n View of the top of the retort; l

Fig. 3 is al side elevation of the retortwitlii parte broken ewa and Fig. is a'verticel transyerse section and Clayton' .Referring to the dra-Wings, is the retort end li the condenser. lhe retort .consists of the upper part l end' the loiver part 2, both hollowed out to form theI chamber C. The joint loetwenthe two parts l and 2, is, made liquid tight by means of a suitable packing in the groove 3. That part of the chamber C formed bythe lower part 2 of the retort is in the shape of a shallow rectan# gular receptacle havinga Hat bottoni with transversel Wells el at its op osite ends. The shape of the. left hand en oi the chamber C which is hidden in Fig. 3 is the saine, as'

the shape of the' right hand end illustrated 4 in Fig. 3. The opening 5 in the lower part 2 of the retort is connected with the pipe 6, the joint being made liquid tiit bythe rubber. stopper or packinw 7. ipe 6 is for the discharge ot residual liquid from the retort. The top llofthe retort has an opening .8 connected with the liquid supply pipe 9, -the ioint being made gas tig t by the rubber stopper or packing- 10. The upper part 1 of the retort also 'has an opening l1 connectediwith the distillate discharge pipe y1:2 leading to the condenser B, and openings 13v positioned over the wells 4 lor the electrodeslfl. y*The joints-between the pipe l2 and the electrodes le with the respective openings are made gas tight by means of suitable paclririfgs. As is illustrated in Fig 1 the two parts l and 2 of the retort are held in position and supported hy a suitable frame Work. m

For the distillation of liquid, say hydrotrated the liquid to oe distilled is supplied through the pipe 9. Vapor passes through the pipc'lQ, to' the condenser B and residual or undistilled acid is discharged through the pipe 6. The supply of acid to he distilled l* density in the liquid and consequently the rate orf heut-ing and distillation. y Atteru ts have been made to use a variety .of materiels for the construction of. the re-l tort. Sande-tone which is more or less extcnsively used for the construction of receptacles for hydrochloric acid has Ibeen found to be so porous that it soon becomes a conductor of electricity due to absorption of acid rendering it unfit for further use. The impregnation of the sandstone with. various materials such as tar and pitch to render it non-porous is unsatisfactory due to the resultant contamination of the acid. Earthenware retorts may be used `but are not at all satisfactory. They crack or break after a relatively short period of use, apparently due to their deficiency of resistance to thermal strains.

Retorts formed of Quincy granite have been found to give very satisfactory results. The material is a non-conductor of electricity and is :ion-porous and even after lon continued use shows no.' tendency to crac or leak or become conductive or *even to corrode materially. granite has been used in the past iii laces where it was exposed to the action o cool hydrochloric acid, it was notto be expected that it would withstand the corrosive action of hot acid for .any long period of time. 0n the contrary, it waas expected that it would corrode and disintegrate. The tinding that it stands up very satisfactorily therefore. is quite surprising.

In the foregoing specification l have re ferred articularly to the distillation of hydroch oric acid by electrical heating. It is however apparent and' is to be understood that the invention, i. e. `the use of a retort formed of natural stone such as- Quincy granite, is not limited' to the distillation of.

hydrochloric acid or to electrical heating. Any other suitable method of heating, for

instance', by means of electrically heated resistance elements or conduite immersed in the liquid and carrying a heatiii liuid,l

may .he employed and other liquids such as sulurfic yacirhfnitrie acid, acetieacid, etc.,

.me te heated or distilled wiiheuidepar- 'ltsi'ife from my invention.

Although Quincy nemesi Y C 3.- A retort for the distillation of corrc-- sive liquids 4comprising a block of non conductive, impervious and acidiesistant stone having a recessv in one face thereofl and a closure for said reos formed of nonconductive, impervious and acid-resistant natural stone.'

4. A retort for `the'distillation of corronatu-ral stone, each having a recess in one face thereof and adapted to tit together with said recesses in communication forming a chamber.

sive" liquids as defined in clainiB in which the natural stone is Quincy granite.

6. A. retort for the distillation of corro sive liquids as defined in claim/i in which the natural stone is Quino granite..

5.l A retort for the distillation oi corroou sive liquids consisting of two blocks of nont conductive, impervious and acid-resistantv` 7. A retort for the distiv lation oiihydi'oi chloric acid comprising a lower hiock of Quincy granite having a in its upper. face, said recess having a shallow central region and deeper end regions, an upperv block of Quincy ranite having a recess 'in its lower face, said upper bloclr being shaped to fit onto said lower block with said re'- cesses in communication forming; a chamber, o eiiings in said upper bloclc positioned a cesses in said lowerblock adapted to receive electrodes, a liquid supply opening inopen- ".Nariiowaan;

ve, the deeper end regions of the r- 

